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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050653">Raising the Stakes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchKey/pseuds/FrenchKey'>FrenchKey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Witchertober 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gambling, Gwent (The Witcher), M/M, Silly stakes gambling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:01:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchKey/pseuds/FrenchKey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Geralt brings Jaskier to Kaer Mohren. He was worried about the wrong things.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eskel &amp; Jaskier | Dandelion, Eskel/Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Witchertober 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>146</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Raising the Stakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is Witchertober Day 2 - Friendship. It is loosely a sequel to Day 1, but if you want to read each as standalones that's fine. Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Geralt crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head into them. Bringing Jaskier to Kaer Mohren had been a terrible mistake. He’d brooded and worried and worked himself into a right state over offering the invitation. He’d worried about how Jaskier would manage the trail, about whether he’d be warm enough in the keep and about whether or not he’d like the other Witchers. What a fool he’d been.</p>
<p>‘How many spies do you <em>have</em> in that deck of yours?’ Eskel groaned as Jaskier played another card.</p>
<p>Geralt had tried to tell his fellow wolf that the bard had a vicious deck and a competitive streak a mile wide. Eskel had asserted that everything would be fine and sat down for a ‘quick game’. The fire that had been built high when they started had almost burned down to nothing. Geralt had stoked it twice in the meantime. He got up once more to add some logs in deference to Jaskier’s human eyesight and constitution. As he did so, Eskel threw his hand down.</p>
<p>‘Right. Again. I nearly had you that time,’ he declared.</p>
<p>Somehow, Geralt doubted that very much.</p>
<p>‘What’s the stake?’ Jaskier asked.</p>
<p>‘I’m not taking any more of your chores,’ Eskel said immediately.</p>
<p>Geralt snorted and promptly turned away from Eskel’s glare. It was a glare that promised dire retribution, but honestly, if Eskel didn’t want to be laughed at, he shouldn’t have lost so much Gwent that he was stuck with Jaskier’s kitchen duties for the next three weeks.</p>
<p>‘No, that would hardly be fair,’ Jaskier mused. ‘How about we play for something a little more interesting.’</p>
<p>Geralt knew that tone of voice. Geralt <em>hated</em> that tone of voice. It was the tone that always preceded him either having to rescue Jaskier from some form of trouble or getting into some form of trouble himself, usually with Jaskier.</p>
<p>‘What were you thinking?’ Eskel asked, not sounding at all appropriately wary.</p>
<p>‘Well, there’s one thing in this keep that we both want,’ Jaskier said, no doubt grinning widely. ‘I was thinking that we could play for Geralt.’</p>
<p>Geralt felt like he should probably escape while he could, but he also somehow couldn’t look away. It was much like watching a fight in the bear pits. You knew how it was going to end, but it was somehow still utterly compelling to watch the carnage happen.</p>
<p>‘What do you mean?’ Eskel asked.</p>
<p>‘Well, we both want to sleep with Geralt this winter, I assume,’ Jaskier said, ‘so I suggest we play for his favour. Winner gets to take him to bed tonight.’</p>
<p>‘I’m in,’ Eskel said, gathering his deck and shuffling it pointedly.</p>
<p>‘Are neither of you going to ask how I feel about this?’ Geralt grumbled.</p>
<p>The players ignored him, setting up the new game. Jaskier tossed a coin. Eskel called heads. </p>
<p>‘Tails, I’m afraid.’</p>
<p>They played their first few cards. Geralt drifted back over to the table and idly perused the board. It seemed fairly even so far, but then, Jaskier’s deck was tricky like that. He often conceded the first match of the game for greater benefit later. For all Eskel was a great Witcher, he lacked something in patience. He’d lost a few games that night that he may have won with a little less haste. </p>
<p>Play continued and Geralt could already see what was going to happen. Sure enough, it only took a few minutes for Eskel to throw his own cards down in defeat.</p>
<p>‘Well!’ Jaskier said, grinning up at Geralt, ‘I believe that means you’re mine for the night.’</p>
<p>‘Hmm…’ Geralt replied, ‘Is that so?’</p>
<p>‘Indeed! Those were the terms of the game.’</p>
<p>Geralt leaned forward until he was a hairsbreadth from Jaskier’s face.</p>
<p>‘I think you’re forgetting something,’ he murmured.</p>
<p>‘Am I now?’ Jaskier replied, sounding supremely unconcerned, unless you could hear his heartbeat rabbiting in his chest as Geralt could.</p>
<p>‘Mmm, you are.’ </p>
<p>Geralt drew something from his pocket, leaned back and slapped his own deck of cards onto the table.</p>
<p>‘I get to play for my own time.’</p>
<p>Jaskier gathered his deck and shuffled. </p>
<p>‘State your terms,’ he ordered, grinning widely. Eskel sank back in his seat to watch, one eyebrow raised. Geralt ignored him.</p>
<p>‘You win and I go to bed with you,’ Geralt said to Jaskier. ‘I win, and I decide where I’m sleeping <em>and</em> who’s welcome in my bed tonight.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed! Toss a comment or a kudos to your writer?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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